Combined aspirator and force-pump.



. F'. MCCARTHY.

COMBINED ASPIRATOR AND FORCE PUIVIPI "APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22| I9II.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I I I l IMI #Edward IIIIIIIII IllllIf//f//// I M F.\l\/|cCARTHY.

comlNED -AsPla/noa AND FoRcE PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 19H.'

Patented. Apr. 30,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. F. MCCARTHY. COMBINED ASPIRATOR AND FORCE PUIVIP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22 ISII.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

3 SH EETS-SHEET 3.

E'ovvnian r. McCann-IY,

COMBINED .ASPIRATOR AND FORCE-PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 22, 1917. Seria1No. 156,628.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that LEDwAnD F. MCCARTHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county-of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Aspiators and Force-Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

rllhis invention relates to improvements in a combined aspirator and force pump,adapt ed to produce and maintain a vacuum in a chamber or tube, by entrainment of the Huid therefrom, and to deliver the fluid to another chamber or receptacle in which the aspirator is-arranged, and in which latter chamber is also arranged a force pump, by means of which pump the fluid is, discharged from the receptacle.

A further object is to provide an improved apparatus of this character, which is particularly adapted, though not necessarily limited in its use with heating systems, whereby a suction or vacuum will be maintained in the system by means of liquid entrainment, and at the same time consumption of the liquid will be lnaintainedv at a minimum and waste of liquid Will be avoided.

A further object is to provide an improved appara-tus of this character having means whereby the pump will be automatically primed by the lluid entrained by the aspirator into the chamber, in which the aspirator and pump are located.

A further object is to provide a combined aspirator and pump of this character which will be of a unitary and compact structure.

A further object is ,to provide an improved apparatus of this character which will be simple, durable and cheap in construction, effective and efficient in operation and in which the use of floats, stuffing boxes, pistons, automatic valves and gearing will be dispensed with.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful ob jects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention and in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation of an improvedjapparatus of this character, constructed in accordance with the principles of this invent1on. v

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on llne 3--3, Fig. l. Y

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of one form rateatea am. so, iai.

of heating system to which this apparatus may be applied. Y Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the apparatus used in connection with a return line vacuum heating` system.

Fig. 6 1s a diagrammatic view showing this improved apparatus applied to a system in Which the air is separated from the liquid before the liquid enters the aspirator chamber, the aspirator handling only air, and the water being delivered to the chamber by gravlty.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates generall a c amber or receptacle which is supporte in an suitable manner such as by means of legs 11, and arranged within the receptacle is an upright shaft 13 having a suitable bearlng 14' at the top of the receptacle, and an- 19 which may be of any approved type. The

motor is preferably supported above the receptacle 10, preferably y; means of supports 20. Arranged within 4 he receptacle and preferably at a point adjacent the bottom thereof, is an aspirator, or suction creating device. The aspirator comprises preferably spaced disks 21, 22 which are-separated from each other by means of u right partitions 23 and the parts are secure( together in any suitable manner such as by means of fastening devices 24C. Two of these partitions 23 are preferably provided and are arranged diametrically opposite each other, and the aspirator is secured to the shaft 13 in any suitable manner so as to rotate therewith.

Depending from the member 22 of the aspirator is a tubular element 25, Which roother suitable bearing l5 at the bottom thereshown.

Arranged also within the chamber 10 and secured preferably to the shaft 13 is a force pump, designated generally by the reference numeral 29 (see particularly Fig. 3), and -which force pump is preferably of the eentrifugal type, having an inlet 30 over which a strainer 29a is arranged, and anoutlet 31. This pump 29 is preferably arranged at a point above the aspirator, so that the inlet of the pum will be above the normal level of the liquid in the chamber 10, but in such a position that as the liquid rises in the lchamber 10, by the entrainment of liquid in the chamber by the aspirator, the inlet of the pump will be submerged and the pump will be automatically primed so that the operation of the pump will draw the liquid out of the chamber 10, and force the liquid through the outlet 3 1' of the pump into the chamber 32, and from the chamber 32 out of the outlet 33 thereof, through the check Valve 34 to be discharged through the pipe 35 and preferably back to the boiler 36, as shown in Figs. 5A and 6;

Leading from the chamber 32 is a pipe 37 which preferably extends from the high point of the chamber and forms a communication between the chamber 32 and thechamber 10 so that when the centrifugal pump operates, any vair which is forced by the pump through .the outlet 31 and into the chamber 32 will escape through the pipe 37 and will notbe forced through the system but will be discharged back into the chamber 10, and from which chamber any excess or accumulation of air will be discharged through Atheoutlet 38 leading from the chamber 10. The chamber l0 may also be provided with an outlet l39 leading from the bottom thereof and by means of which outlet the chamber may be cleaned.

' In Fig. 4 ofthe drawings, the apparatus is shown as applied to the exhaust of a high pressure steam plant and 40adesignates the connection with the exhaust. From the radiator 41, the fluid passes through a thermostatic trap 42, which may be of any well known construction, and which trap is connected byy means of the communication 43 with the return pipe 44. The latter is in turn connected with the pipe 26 leading into the bottom of the chamber 10, and through which pipes 26, 44, the Huid is entrained into the chamber 10 by the action of the asplrator.

The centrifugal pump 29 operates to discharge the liquid from the chamber 10 through the pipe 35 into a feed water heater 45, which latter may be open or closed. From this feed water heater 45 the liquid is drawn through the pipe 46 by means of the pump 47 and discharged back into the boiler \36 through the pipe 48.

`\- The apparatus is shown in Fig. 5 in connection with a, return line vacuum heating system, the steam being supplied from the high pressure boiler 36, through the pipe 40 to the radiator 41. In this system there is employed an expansion tank 49, with which the return pipe 44 leadin from the thermostatic trap is connecte An automatic electric vacuum -switch 50, of the ordinarv type,- is controlled from the tank 49, and thelswitch 50 controls the circuit 51 of the motor 18.

Leading from the tank which is provided with a W ter seal loop 53, land which loop is arranged at such an eleva* tion with respect tothe tank 49, as to prevent any airfrom passing into the expansion tank through thepump, and also to prevent liquid from the chamber from being drawn into the tank 49 through the pipe 26 and between which pipe 26 and the loop 53, a connection 54' is provided.

In Fig. 6 the apparatus is shown in connection. with another yform of system where inthe air from the system is separated from the liquid before the liquid enters the chamber 10, so that the aspirator will handle only air, the liquid being delivered to the chamber 10 by gravity, and which liquid is discharged by the centrifugal pump 29 back to the boiler 36. In'this form of invention, the air is discharged from the radiator 41 through a suitable pipe to the return pipe 56, which latter discharges into `an expansion tank 57 leading from the bottom of which tank is a pipe 58 that discharges into the chamber 10, preferably adjacent the top thereof, and through which pipe the liquid will flow by gravity from the tank 57 into the chamber.

The air entering the expansion tank 57 with the liquid is separated from the liquid and will flow out of the pipe 60, which leads from the'tank 57, and this pipe 60 is connected with the pipe 26 which leads into the botttom of the chamber 10 and through which pipe 26 the aspirator will entrain the air from the tank 57.

The tank 57 is located at such a height with respect to the chamber 10, so that the air in the chamber 10 cannot break through the wall of water in the pipes 58, which would destroy the vacuum in the tank 57.

49 is a pipe 52 measure In thev operation of this improved appacircumferential space, as the liquid after flowing inward due to the partial vacuum created in the circumferential space and the .natural pressure of the liquid behind each partition, the liquid is immediately caught by the following partition and thrown outward. v l

In practice there is a constant inward and outward flow of liquid in the space between the periphery of the disks or in the outer spaces between the additional partitions. The action is enhanced by the breaking up of the liquid into sprays as it flows through the peripheral spaces and the' entraining action of the liquid is effective to produce a vacuum up to approximately 25 mercury, the intensity of the vacuum being determined by the velocity ofrevolution or the depth to which the circular disks are submerged. y

The centrifugal pump being disposed above the aspirator will be primed by the liquid in the chamber 10 when the liquid therein rises sufiiciently, and the liquid is then thrown out or discharged from the pump through the outlet 31, and this operation will be continued until the level of the liquid'in the chamber 10 is below the inlet opening to the pump. The pump will again operate when the liquid rises sufficiently to cover the inlet opening.

This improved apparatus does not consume any of the liquid or Waste any ofthe same and when the operation thereof is once started, very little attention is necessary as the operation is entirely automatic.

Furthermore this improved apparatus when used in conjunction with heating sys.

tems, operates as an air eliminator, a strainer to prevent sedlment from passmg back to the boiler, a combmed vacuum and pressure pump and a condenser for condensing the steam and thereby prevents any of the steam from escaping to the atmosphere.

rlhis improved apparatus also `operates as a medium for condensing liquids in the practice of distillation, whereby a partial vacuum may be maintained in a receptacle containing the liquid to be distilled, thereby causing the liquid to boil at a lower temperature than under ordinary atmospheric conditions, and then drawing-the vapor into the chamber 10, containing the same liquid as contained in the boiling receptacle, and which chamber contains the suction producer the shaft, an outlet from the chamber and centrifugal pump, and then discharging the liquid from the chamber by the centrifugal pump.

, While the preferred form of the invention is herein shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes may be made in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit ofv the` invention and it is therefore desired, that'the drawings herewith submitted, are' to be considered as being merely diagrammatic. I

What is claimed as new'is: v

1. rlhe combination of a chamber containing liquid, a rotary suction producing device submerged in the liquid within the chamber, a rotary pumpfalso arranged in the same chamber, a suction tubethrough which fluid is drawn into the chamber by the' suction creating' device, an outlet through which liquid is discharged from the chamber by the pump, and means for operating the said suction creating device and pump.

2. The combination of a chamber containingl liquid, a rotary suction producing device submerged in the liquid within the chamber, a rotary'pump also arranged in the same chamber, a suction tube through which fluid is drawn into the chamber yby the suction creating device, an outlet through which liquid is discharged from the chamber by the pump, means for operating said suction creating device and pump,

and means for maintaining the liquid relatively at rest when the suction creating device is actuated.

3. The combination of a chamber containing liquid, an operating shaft in lthe chamber, means for rotating the shaft, a submerged suction creating device connected with the shaft,a centrifugal pump within the same chamber, and also connected with through which the liquid is forced by the pump, and an inlet to the chamberl and through which inlet fluid is drawn into the chamber through the instrumentality of the suction creating device.

4. The combination of a chamber containing liquid, an operating shaft in the chamsuction creating device, said pump being spaced from the suction creating device and adapted t0 be automatically primed by the rising of the liquid in the said chamber.

5. The combina-tion of a chamber containing liquid, a submerged suction creating de` vice within the chamber, said suction creating device embodying two or\ more axially separated plates having circular peripheries, one or more rotative partitions in the space between said plates, a suction tube communicating with the said .space whereby the rotation of the said suction creating device will cause the liquid to How inward behind one of the said partitions and to be thrown outward by a tangential action of the following partition to entrain thelair in the said suction tube t0 create a partial vacuum in said tube, a rotary discharge pump in the saine chamber for the liquid therein, and a discharge .outlet leading from the'chamber, for the liquid.

6. The combination of a chamber containing liquid, a submerged suction creating device within the chamber, said suction creating ldevice embodying two or more axially separated plates having circular peripheries, one or more rotative partitions in the space between said plates, a suction tube communicatin with the ysaid space whereby the rotation of the-said suction creating device will cause the liquid to flow inward behind -one of the said partitions and to be thrown outward by a tangential action of the following partition to entrain the air in the said suction tube to create a partial vacuum in said tube, a rotary discharge pump in the chamber for the liquid therein, a discharge outlet leading from the chamber, for the liquid, and means common to the suction creating device and the said pump for actuating them.

7. The lcombination of a chamber containing liquid, a submerged'suction creating device within the chamber, said suction creating device embodying two or more axially separated plates having circular periplieries, one or more rotative partitions in the space between said plates, a suction tube communicating with the said space whereby the rotation of the said suction creating device will cause the liquid to flow inward behind one of the said partitions and to be thrown outward by a tangential action of the following partition to entrain the air in the said suction tube to create a partial vacuum in said tube, a rotary discharge pump in the chamber for the liquid therein, a discharge outlet leading from the, chamber, for the liquid, and an air eliminator connected vwith the said discharge outlet.

8. The combination of a chamber containing liquid, a rotary suction producing device submerged in the liquid within the chamber, a rotary pump arranged in the same chamber, a suction tube through which -iiuid is drawn into the chamber by the suction creating device, an outlet through which liquid is discharged from the chamber by the pump, means for operating the outlet. l

p 9. The combination of a chamber containing liquid, a rotary suction producing device submerged in the liquid within the chamber, a rotary pump arranged in the saine chamber, a suction tube through which iuid is drawn into the chamber by the suction creating device, an outlet through which liquid is discharged trom the chamber by the pump, means for operating the said suction creating devicevand pump, an air eliminator connected with the said outlet, and an additional air outlet leading from the said chamber.

10. The combination of a chamber containing liquid, a rotary suction producer submerged in the liquid, a rota-ry discharge pump disposed within the saine chamber, means for rotating the said suction producer and pump, and provisions whereby air andliquid will be entrained into the said chamber by the said suction producer, and be expelled from the chamber by the said pump.

11. The combination of a chamber containing liquid, two or more flat parallel spaced circular disks, one or more vertical partitions between the disks and extending from the periphery inward and terminating short of the diametriccenter of the disks to forni a space, there being an opening through one of the disks at the center thereof communicating with said space, a tubular member extending perpeiidicularly from the disk and communicating with said opening, a suction or intake tube, means connecting said tube with the said tubular member, means for rotating the disks about a common axis, whereby liquid will be drawn into the space between the disks by the rotation of the disks and thrown outward by the tangential action of the vertical partitions, into the chamber, and a centrifugal pump arranged within the chamber for discharging the accumulated liquid therefrom.

12. The combination of a chamber containing liquid, two or more Ilat parallel :spaced circular disks, one or more vertical partitions between the disks and extending from the periphery inward and terminating short of the diametric center of the disks to form a space, there being an opening through one of the disks at the center thereof communicating with said space, a tubular member extending lperpendicularly from the disk and communicating with said opening, a suction or intake tube, means connecting said tube with the said tubular member, means for rotating the disks about a common aXis, whereby liquid will be drawn into the space between the disks by the rotation of the disks and thrown outward by the tangcntial action of the vertical partitions, into the chamber, a centrifugal pump arranged within the chamber for discharging the accumulated liquid therefrom, there being an outlet from the chamber through which the liquid is discharged, and an air eliminator connected with said outlet.

13. An apparatus of the character described, embodying a chamber, an aspirator in the chamber, a discharge pump within the same chamber, means fdr` actuating the aspirator and pump, and means for eliminating air from the liquid drawn into the chamber by the aspirator.

14. An apparatus of the character de-4 scribed, embodying a chamber, an aspirator in the chamber, la discharge pump within the same chamber, means for actuating the aspirator and pump, means for eliminating air from the liquid drawn into the chamber by the aspirator, and provisions whereby vapor drawn into the chamber by the aspirator will be condensed in said chamber.

15. An apparatus of the character described, embodying a chamber, an aspirator in the chamber, a discharge pump within the same chamber, means for actuating the aspirator and pump, means for eliminating air. from the liquid drawn into the chamber by the aspirator, and means for trapping foreign matter in the chamber.

16. In a return line vacuum heating system, the provision of an apparatus of the n character described, embodying a chamber, an aspirator therein, a pump also in the chamber and eoperating with the aspirator for discharging from the chamber liquid drawn thereinto by the aspirator, provisions whereby the air drawn into the chamber from the heating system by the aspirator will be separated from the liquid, and provisions whereby the air thus separated will escape from the chamber to the atmosphere.

17. In a return line vacuum heating system, the provision of an apparatus of the character described, embodying a chamber, an aspirator therein, a pump also in the chamber and cojerating with the aspirator for discharging from the chamber liquid drawn thereinto by the aspirator, provisions whereby the air drawn into the chamber from the heating system by the aspirator will be separated from the liquid, provisions whereby air thus separated will escape from the chamber to the atmosphere, and provisions whereby foreign matter will be trapped within the chamber.

In testimony whereof ll have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 16th day of March, A. D. 1917.

EDWARD iF. MCCARTHY.

Witnesses:

FRANK N. REED, J. H. JocHnM, Jr. 

